Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Movement that Continues

  20 March 2012

  by SUNIL RAY
  Resurgence of Indian State
  The crusade launched against corruption is one of the significant historical moments that should not be misapprehended by those whose engagement in their movements to create a better world is equally commendable. What is important to understand is that any movement being waged by the people—whether for uplifting the cause of Dalits or against discrimination perpetrated against the minorities or disposse-ssion of peasants and tribals from ownership (…)

• UN Must Outlaw Nuclear Power Plants

  20 March 2012, by Sailendra Nath Ghosh

  A few days back, the Prime Minister accused Tirunevleli’s NGOs of using foreign funds for organising protest movements against the com-missioning of the Kundakulam nuclear plant. If he meant to say that the protest is foreign inspired, he is entirely mistaken. Now common people all over the world know that nuclear plants are based on a technology which spews deaths to hundreds of thousands in the event of a small human or machine error and that there can be no guarantee against such an (…)

• JNNURM, Reforms and Lies

  20 March 2012

  by SHOBHA AGGARWAL
  In December 2005 the Prime Minister had launched the flagship scheme, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), with the stated objective of urban development. It is the biggest funded urban renewal mission ever undertaken in any country so far. The policy document clearly enunciates the mandatory reforms to be implemented by the States and civic agencies during 2005-12. To receive funds under the JNNURM the States and civic agencies have to sign a (…)

• River Link Scheme: Awaiting a Big Disaster

  20 March 2012, by Bharat Dogra

  On February 27, the Supreme Court of India gave directions to the Union Government to constitute a special committee to take forward the controversial project of national-level linking of rivers. The Supreme Court’s judgement was highly favourable towards this project, but past experience regarding such gigantic projects would suggest the need for a lot of caution. Also, it may be recalled that the previous Union Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, had warned against the hazards of such a (…)

• Indo-Pak Trade Ties

  20 March 2012, by Sunita Vakil

  After much procrastination, Pakistan on February 29 decided to switch to the negative list approach for trade with India indicating its resolve to improve relations with its regional rival despite opposition from Islamic groups. This came soon after Commerce Minister Anand Sharma’s visit to Pakistan which gave a much-needed boost to India-Pakistan bilateral trade paving the way for full liberalisation of trade between the two countries, eventually culminating in the granting of the Most (…)

• Union Budget 2012-13: Expectations of the Power Sector

  20 March 2012

  by HIRANMOY ROY
  This article reached us late last week. It could not be used earlier due to unavoidable reasons.
  At the beginning of the 12th Plan, there is a genuine expectation from the Union Budget 2012-13 that there will be far more action-orientation and policy-setting based on the present needs than populist schemes.
  The infra-sector is enthusiastically awaiting some energetic stimuli as it presently struggles with the broken cash cycles and high debt leverage. So the share of (…)

• On the Dark Realities facing Us

  20 March 2012, by Humra Quraishi

  Why this growing graph of abandoned-on -the-street children? Why thousands of Falaks? Why hundreds of women who have to sell off their own flesh and blood? Why the naïve get trapped into prostitution and related rackets?
  You don’t have to be an investigative reporter to come to some basic conclusion, as some hard- hitting realities stand right out: C.C. Patil—Karnataka’s Women and Child Welfare Minister—was caught watching porn on a cell-phone with another of his ministerial colleagues, (…)

• Message of the State Assembly Polls

  13 March 2012, by SC

  The results of the elections to the Assemblies of five States that went to the polls recently are out. The voters have given their verdict loud and clear. Except for Uttarakhand where it is still not clear which party would form the next State Government, there is no room for any doubt on this score in the other four States where elections were held.
  Mayawati’s BSP has suffered a decisive defeat in the most populous State of UP with the Samajwadi Party of the veteran war-horse Mulayam (…)

• US Lets Down the Indian Quislings

  13 March 2012, by M K Bhadrakumar

  Why is it that the Pakistanis have got such spunk that our Indian lords lack? Within a day of the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, threatening it might be “destructive” for Pakistan to go ahead with a gas pipeline project with Iran, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar shot back that it is not Uncle Sam’s business which country Pakistan cooperates with or how it defines its national interests. What stunned me is that in the same breath Clinton also commended the Manmohan (…)

• National Sovereignty and the Military

  13 March 2012, by S G Vombatkere

  National sovereignty (meaning “complete power or authority“) is a very important issue: Consider that the word “sovereignty” combined with the word “integrity” occurs several times in the Constitution of India, in the context of law-making, citizens’ fundamental duties, Ministers’ oath of office, and oaths by judges, Members of Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.
  The Defence Forces of the Union, namely India’s military (Army, Navy and Air Force), are entrusted with the (…)